NL Lineup Analysis
Braves
- Since returning from the DL, Ronald Acuna is leading off with Ender Inciarte batting seventh.
- Charlie Culberson is batting and playing second as Ozzie Albies deals with a hamstring issue.
Brewers
- This team continues to roster too many MLB caliber corner outfielders and first basemen cutting into everyone’s playing time. The team has finally smartened up and is playing Jesus Aguilar every day. Ryan Braun, Keon Broxton, and Eric Thames are battling for the right field spot
- Tyler Saladino (.275/.330/.431) has started 12 straight games at shortstop.
- Hernan Perez has been playing a ton of second base recently so I wondered if he was on a hot streak. Nope since he’s hitting just .241/.290/.397 over past 28 days. The problem is that Brad Miller has been horrible (.203/.242/.305) over the same time frame.
Cardinals
- I have not clue what they are doing and it doesn’t help with Kolten Wong and Jedd Gyorko dealing with injuries. Three of the team’s most productive hitters, Jose Martinez, Harrison Bader, and Yairo Munoz aren’t regulars. Dexter Fowler and his .580 OPS has received 302 PA this season. Paul DeJong and his league average bat are hitting third in the lineup. It’s like the team is trying to lose games.
Cubs
- Anthony Rizzo has hit leadoff for 10 straight games. The biggest issue for fantasy owners may be the lack of RBIs for those counting on a more balanced mix.
- Jason Heyward is now batting 3rd with a .316/.388/.474 line over the last 28 days.
- The lineup’s bottom half looks to be a mess but two moves are controlling the confusion. First, Willson Contreras usually bats 5th if he’s the starting catcher. Second, Kyle Schwarber sits against lefties.
Diamondbacks
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- Besides Paul Goldschmidt, this lineup is a complete crapshoot on who is starting and where are they playing. A.J. Pollock should be a regular but he is sitting once or twice a week. Jon Jay has led off in 13 of the last 18 games. They’ve used three different catchers in the last five games. Good luck figuring out this hodgepodge.
Dodgers
- Since trading for Manny Machado, the lineup has stayed the same since he took Justin Turner’s (DL) spot.
- Joc Pederson still isn’t facing lefties.
- Second base is a rotation of Enrique Hernandez, Chase Utley, and Logan Forsythe.
Giants
- While normally a consistent lineup, their first two post-All Star game series’s are at AL parks so they’ve had to fill the DH.
- Austin Slater has started in left field for Gorkys Hernandez who may still be feeling the effects of a mid-July ankle sprain. Before the injury, he was hitting .279/.327/.463 and just .207/.258/.276 since then in 31 PA.
Marlins
- They have a platoon where Derek Dietrich sits against lefties and someone else plays in the outfield.
- Magneuris Sierra (14 SB in Triple-A) has joined the team so the outfield playing time is in flux.
Mets
- Amed Rosario (.268/.369/.464 over last 28 days) has led off the last few games instead of Brandon Nimmo. Hopefully, I didn’t cause the demotion.
Brandon Nimmo's triple slash before getting HBP in hand on June 24th: .283/.403/.571
Since then .157/.289/.243https://t.co/jOyFMt8CPu
That's the @Mets medical staff at its finest.
— Jeff Zimmerman (@jeffwzimmerman) July 24, 2018
- Wilmer Flores has moved up from batting 5th to 3rd and only sat once since June 26th. He may end up being a nice compiler by season’s end.
Nationals
- I’m not sure what’s going on with Bryce Harper hurt, Trea Turner in the doghouse, and Ryan Zimmerman returning from the DL to compete with Mark Reynolds and Matt Adams.
- Adam Eaton is an on-base machine leading off with a .357/.438/.429 slash line. He’s showing no power (.103 ISO). Additionally, lefties are eating him up. He’s posting a .376 OPS against them and .907 OPS against righties. He sits sometimes against lefty starters. If the team doesn’t bench him, his owners should if possible.
Padres
- Besides Wil Myers, Eric Hosmer, and Freddy Galvis, this team has no regulars. It’s like a little league team. The coach’s kids get regular time and the rest of the lineup is set by who shows up to the game first.
Phillies
- The lineup is as steady as it goes except for a right field platoon with Nick Williams facing righties and Aaron Altherr facing lefties.
Pirates
- It’s been steady for the last two weeks besides dealing with the Josh Harrison injury.
Reds
- The team is starting to put out a regular group of hitters especially with Scott Schebler on the DL.
- Jesse Winkler may seem to be a regular but the Reds haven’t recently faced many lefty starters. Winkler struggles against lefties (.211/.357/.333) and Phil Ervin is his current platoon partner.
Rockies
- Besides Garrett Hampson replacing DJ LeMahieu (DL) at second base, the lineup has been steady for a while.
- I’m a little surprised Gerardo Parra and his .105 ISO (19th lowest among 173 hitters with at least 300 PA) are still getting regular playing time. He’s started 11 of the last 13 games and has hit .188/.333/.219 over the time frame so he’s not hot.
Jeff, one of the authors of the fantasy baseball guide,The Process, writes for RotoGraphs, The Hardball Times, Rotowire, Baseball America, and BaseballHQ. He has been nominated for two SABR Analytics Research Award for Contemporary Analysis and won it in 2013 in tandem with Bill Petti. He has won four FSWA Awards including on for his Mining the News series. He's won Tout Wars three times, LABR twice, and got his first NFBC Main Event win in 2021. Follow him on Twitter @jeffwzimmerman.
Altherr actually got demoted, but also Nick Williams gets crushed by lefties, so not sure it helps him.